486 individuals and organisations given advice, 99 businesses/social enterprises received over five days of mentor support. Advice also given to schools, public sector, communities and households.
- £250,000 given in capital grants
- 109 renewable energy systems installed, 83 of these in 61 organisations
- 1273 tonnes of CO2 saved every year, equivalent to the emissions of 212 homes.
- Supported 37 local renewable energy installers, 20 received over 5 days support
- 55 new jobs created in the RE sector and combined turnover up from £7m to £11m
- £4.2m total energy savings for SMEs
- 10 technology growth plans produced
Some organisations we have assisted:
More information
RE4D was funded to run from April 2006 to March 2008. The core project team of six individuals worked to increase demand for renewables by offering free independent advice to help people and organisations wanting to install and linked this to local suppliers who also received extensive support. Grants and feasibility funding, as well as technical advice and help with fundraising and planning applications together lead to the project exceeding output targets for organisations installing renewable energy technology.
We have provided 47 capital installation grants totalling £250,000, which has drawn in £920,000 worth of funding from other public and private organisations. We also fully funded 36 feasibility studies to organisations to find out if a particular technology was suitable for their site, with a focus on hydro and biomass schemes. In the two years the project has been running over 1000 people contacted RE4D for advice, 486 of these received personal advice. We were able to provide free mentor support to 188 small businesses, 28 community groups, nine schools, five public sector clients and six large businesses.
61 of these organisations have installed a renewable energy system, 83 systems in all. Plus another 25 installed by householders, which will save a combined total of 1273 tonnes of CO2 every year, equivalent to the emissions of 212 homes (The average house emits six tonnes of CO2 pa for heating and electricity). It's estimated that the SME's (small to medium sized enterprises) alone will save £4.2 million on their combined energy bills over the next 25 yrs based on current fuel prices.
A key part of the project was also to increase the sector's capacity to deliver on the increased demand, so we have worked with 37 Devon based installers, 20 of these received in depth support from the Sector Development Officer. 10 companies received business development grants, and in all 55 new jobs have been created within the sector since April 2006, with installers identifying a further 16 jobs safeguarded by the project. The turnover of Devon's renewable energy sector has increased from £7 million to £11 million.
RE4D funded 10 technology growth plans to identify gaps in the market and develop new products.
- Hydro - High Head Low Flow
- Hydro - Polymer turbines
Designed to make small scale turbines more economically viable
- Hydro - Nano turbines
Designed to provide DIY solution with list of parts and manual for very small scale hydro installations
- Hydro - Migratory Fish Study - promotion widely
- Wind - Met mast
New met mast designed to reduce cost of wind assessment giving a good quality inexpensive solution for small-scale turbines (5kW+) 
- Woodfuel Cooperative Clusters
Supporting local supply and demand for woodfuel on Dartmoor. Pilot study aimed at replication.
- Construction sector - awareness raising and evaluation of the impact of policy on future RE installations
- Industrial Estates - comparison and evaluation of RE requirements on Devon industrial estates
- RE by sector - enable focussed activities by sector
- Biomass Boilers in Devon - establish woodfuel capacity in Devon
